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Maris Stella High School 1! Sec 2 Biology Notes: Transport in Plants!

Topic 3: Transport in Plants

Part 1: Transport in Roots Root hair cell Absorption of water Absorption of mineral salts Part 2: Transport in Xylem Xylem Movement of water & mineral salts Part 3: Transpiration Transpiration Pull Part 4: Translocation Phloem Movement of nutrients *Refer to slides for all other relevant images.

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[SEC 2 BIOLOGY NOTES: TRANSPORT IN PLANTS]

Part 1: Transport in Roots

Root Hair Cells Root hair cells are outgrowths of the
epidermal cells in the root. As the root ____________

grows, older root hairs die off and newer ones are formed towards the root tip. The root cap protects the root as it grows into the soil.

absorption Their function is the _____________ of water & mineral salts from the soil. They

have several features that help: Structural Feature Long & narrow shape Function
surface area to volume ratio Increases ____________________________ of the

cell for efficient absorption. Vacuoles and cell sap The cell sap contains sugars, amino acids and salts.
water potential It has lower __________________ than soil solution,

" the cell. Living (i.e has mitochondria)

Maris Stella High School 3! Sec 2 Biology Notes: Transport in Plants! resulting in endosmosis of water from the soil into

release energyfrom The root hair cell can ____________________

cellular respiration for active transport of mineral salts from the soil into the cell.

zone with root hairs Absorption of water and mineral salts takes place mainly in the ______________.

Root hair cells grow between the soil particles. They come in close contact with the water surrounding them. Mineral salts are dissolved in the water.

Absorption of water How does water enter the roots? 1. The cell sap in the root hair cell is a relatively concentrated solution of sugars and other mineral salts. It has lower water potential than the soil solution.

endomosis There is a net movement 2. Water enters the root hair cells by ___________:

of water molecules from a region of higher water potential (soil solution) to a region of lower water potential gradient (root hair cell), down the water potential gradient, through the partially permeable cell membrane.
higher 3. Endosmosis of water causes the root hair cells to have _______________

water potential _____________________ than the inner cells.

4. Consequently, water passes by osmosis into the inner cells

cortex (___________), until water enters the xylem and moves up the plant.

4 [SEC 2 BIOLOGY NOTES: TRANSPORT IN PLANTS] " passive This _____________ transport of water results in root pressure, contributing to water moving up the xylem. "
passive transports does not need energy active needs from low to high concentration against a concentration gradient

Absorption of Mineral Salts by Active Transport

The partially permeable cell surface membrane allows dissolved mineral salts
nitrates for protein synthesis in the soil solution to pass through by (such as _______________________)

diffusion into the root hair. Then the mineral salts diffuse inwards through the cortex and into the xylem vessels to be carried upwards with water. However, the concentration of mineral salts in the soil is usually very low, resulting in the dependency on diffusion to be insufficient. Plants have adapted
energy to use active transport (using __________ to transport substances against a

concentration gradient) to absorb essential mineral salts. This means root hair cells can absorb nitrate ions from the soil solution even
against though they are more nitrate ions in the root hair cells than in the soil (________

a concentration gradient).
water in soil
RHC

cells in cortex region (yellow)

Part 2: Transport in Xylem

Xylem roots to leaves. They are non-living tissue they have no protoplasm!
xylem vessels in vascular bundle

The xylem tissue consists mainly of vessels (long hollow tubes) stretching from

to other parts of plants esp leaves

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Maris Stella High School 5! Sec 2 Biology Notes: Transport in Plants!

conduct The function of the xylem is to __________ water and mineral salts from the mechanical support roots to the stems and leaves, and to provide _________________________

within the plant. They have several features that help: Structural Feature Hollow and continuous lumen. salts. Absence of partitions enables the contents to move through the xylem easily to the leaves. Narrow and long vessels, stretching from roots to leaves Lignified walls
capillary action Allows water to move up via ___________________.

Function Allows the xylem to be filled with water and mineral

Allows content to be transported from roots to leaves. Increases mechanical strength and to prevent collapse of the vessels. Provides a waterproof barrier, preventing water from seeping out of the fully permeable cell walls of the vessels.

Movement of water & mineral salts Since the xylem vessels are long and continuous, water cannot ascend by osmosis.
adhension The _______________ forces between water and the xylem walls, and the strong cohesive surface tension _______________________ of water (caused by the _____________ forces

between water molecules) enable water to move up the narrow and continuous lumen of vessels. Water and the dissolved mineral salts move up the xylem vessels by capillary action, contributing to water moving up the xylem.

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[SEC 2 BIOLOGY NOTES: TRANSPORT IN PLANTS]

Part 3: Transpiration
Definition Transpiration is the loss of water from the aerial parts of a plant, especially through the stomata of the leaves.

Transpiration Pull
suction force that The evaporation of water from the leaves results in a ___________

pulls the water up the xylem vessels from the roots to the leaves
pull This suction force due to transpiration is known as transpiration ________.

It is the main force in drawing water and mineral salts up the plant
stream The stream of water up the plant is called the transpiration ___________.

Importance of transpiration The suction force due to transpiration is the main force in lifting water and dissolved mineral salts up the plant from the roots to the leaves. This replaces water lost from the leaves through transpiration. The leaves and other cells are supplied with sufficient water and mineral salts for photosynthesis and other life processes. Transpiration pull is the third factor contributing to water moving up the xylem.

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Maris Stella High School 7! Sec 2 Biology Notes: Transport in Plants!

Part 4: Translocation
Definition Translocation is the movement of food substances from the site of photosynthesis (mainly the leaves) to other parts of the plant. Phloem Conducts manufactured food (sucrose & amino acids) from the leaves to other parts of the plant.
epidermal Consists of sieve tubes & ______________cells.

A sieve tube consists of a single row of elongated thin-walled living cells called the sieve tube cells.

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Sieve tube cells contain cytoplasm, but do not have a nucleus, central vacuole, and many other organelles. The companion cells supports the metabolic needs of the sieve tube cells. The cross-walls separating the sieve tube elements are perforated with minute pores like a sieve, so these are called sieve plates.

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[SEC 2 BIOLOGY NOTES: TRANSPORT IN PLANTS]

Movement of nutrients Translocation occurs between the leaves, phloem, and storage organs (through the cytoplasm of the sieve tubes and sieve plates) by diffusion and active transport.